Geely and BYD compete for the title of "first in thermal efficiency". Why is this related to Xiaomi's "loan marketing"?

On the evening of May 28, BYD released the fifth-generation DM technology, with a fuel consumption of 2.9L per 100km, a comprehensive range of 2,100km, and an engine thermal efficiency of 46.06%. The data shocked many friends.

Wherever there is publicity, there are doubts. Geely Auto expressed its dissatisfaction and took out a product certification it obtained from the China Automotive Technology and Research Center in 2023, stating that Geely's Thor engine achieved a thermal efficiency of 46.1%, which is the world's first.

Why should we pay attention to the thermal efficiency data? Because the plug-in hybrid system must use the engine, and the thermal efficiency of the engine directly determines the comprehensive fuel consumption of a car.

Interestingly, BYD quickly countered Geely's doubts. BYD also produced a product certification from the China Automotive Technology and Research Center, proving that its engine thermal efficiency can reach 46.5%, a figure that once again surpassed Geely's.

Li Yunfei, a senior executive of BYD, also said that BYD did not bring out this product before because it has not yet been mass-produced. He also pointed out that the thermal efficiency that Geely brought out has not been mass-produced, and the 46.06% thermal efficiency of the fifth-generation DM technology is truly "the first in mass production."

The argument should have stopped here, because the data in the laboratory and the actual mass production data are two completely different concepts, which is equivalent to the difference between a concept car and a mass production car. To put it more extremely, it may also be the difference between Zhang Ziyi and Luo Yufeng.

From the consumer's perspective, they don't really care who takes what technological route or who has more advanced technology. They only care about who can let me drive on the road right now.

Therefore, BYD's statement is relatively rational. At present, any manufacturer with a little strength can produce good data in the laboratory, even those who have just entered the industry. But these are all false. Only the performance of mass-produced cars is the basic standard for measuring the strength of an automobile manufacturer.

At present, BYD has taken the lead in launching the fifth-generation DM technology. At the same time, BYD has also asked different media to conduct actual tests on the Qin L/Seal 06 DM-i. At present, the test data are high and low, but the overall difference is not too big. Obviously, such technical data that has been implemented is what consumers really need.

In fact, the plug-in hybrid system itself was developed and promoted by BYD, and it is not surprising that it has taken the lead in plug-in hybrid technology. It does not matter whether Geely Auto wins or loses the war of words with BYD. It does not matter whether BYD's engine thermal efficiency is 46.06% or 46.07%, whether it is the world's first or second. It is all symbolic rather than practical. What is really useful is the current result.

During his heyday, Jack Ma liked to use the word "results". He often asked his subordinates to "get results". What does the result mean? The result is to seek truth from facts. Although it doesn't sound romantic enough, and it doesn't look up to the stars enough, consumers will only pay for the results of the moment.

From this debate, 91che saw a problem in the current Chinese auto industry. That is the caliber and scale of the publicity strategy. BYD put forward a very critical standard in this debate: should the technology that has not been mass-produced be widely publicized?

In the new energy era, many founders of China's new car-making forces are experts in marketing. In order to generate traffic and attract attention, they started the "loan marketing" model.

So people see such chaos: the price of a new car is announced but the interior and configuration are not announced, and the car is not delivered until half a year later; a new car is launched on the market and a certain function is widely promoted, but this function is not implemented until several months later; a technology is just formed in the laboratory and it is immediately promoted.

Xiaomi is very good at this kind of "loan marketing". When SU7 was launched, Lei Jun vigorously promoted the self-developed V8S motor with a speed of up to 27,200 rpm. However, this motor will not be available until 2025. In other words, this motor of Xiaomi is still in the laboratory, but it has been taken out to harvest a wave of traffic in advance. Although it is true that Xiaomi has applied for 155 patents for the new car, it completely avoids talking about the fact that only 60 of them have been authorized.

This phenomenon is not uncommon in the new energy vehicle market, and is especially prevalent in the new car-making circles. However, it should be noted that this is an unhealthy trend in the new energy vehicle market. If manufacturers focus all their energy on marketing, path dependence will form over time, affecting the research and development of the entire company.

In addition, this trend will also arouse consumers' disgust and make them feel cheated and deceived. With the help of new energy, domestic brands have finally changed consumers' previous prejudice against domestic cars. They should continue to work hard, focus on users, and use real core technologies to attract consumers, instead of letting some boring arguments and debates fill our public opinion space.

As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity.